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HISTORY 


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BALL ARD'S  BRIDGE 
CHURCH 


■ 


.1.  T.  BYRUM. 

LICENSED  l!V  BALLARD'S  Bridge,  August!),  1M02. 

Took  ink  B.A.  Degree  at  Wake  Forest,  May  22,  IMS. 

ORDAINED  AT  BALLARD'S  BRIDGE,  .TlIT.Y  12,  1908. 


HISTORY 


OF 


Ballard's  Bridge  Church 


BY 

J.  T.  BYRUM,  B.A. 


RALEIGH,  N.  C. 
Presses  of  Edwards  &  Broughton  Printing  Company, 


Preface 

My  aim  in  this  little  pamphlet  has  been  to  compile  facts 
instead  of  gathering  flowers.  A  great  deal  of  my  informa- 
tion has  been  gathered  from  members  of  the  old  church  who 
are  still  living.  In  gathering  this  material  I  sought  to  have 
one  man's  statement  corroborated  by  another  in  order  that  I 
might  be  certain  of  the  correctness  of  memory.  There  are 
sketches  of  good  men  which  I  had  to  omit  in  this  pamph'.et 
for  the  lack  of  space  and  information.  There  may  be  some 
mistakes,  but  I  have  tried  to  be  true  to  the  material  in  hand. 
This  is  sent  forth  with  the  hope  that  it  may  inspire  a  more 
fertile  brain  to  give  a  fuller  account  than  is  here  given. 

J.  T.  Btrum. 

August  14,  1908. 


An  Introduction  to  the  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Baptist  Church 

Ballard's  Bridge  Baptist  Church,  Chowan  County,  North 
Carolina,  was  constituted  in  1781.  The  church  house  is 
situated  on  a  beautiful  level  spot  of  land  which  falls  almost 
abruptly  into  a  pond,  known  as  the  Dillard's  mill-pond,  one 
of  the  tributaries  of  the  Chowan  Biver.  Its  grove  consists 
very  largely  of  pines  and  oaks  many  of  which  are  the  prime- 
val growth.  The  church  building  stands  near  the  road, 
known  as  the  Virginia  road,  leading  from  Suffolk  to  Eden- 
ton,  in  a  beautiful  and  wealthy  farming  section  of  Chowan 
County.  It  is  one  mile  from  Small's  cross-roads ;  about  two 
miles  from  Cannon's  ferry,  a  famous  fishing  beach  on  the 
Chowan  Biver ;  and  about  fifteen  miles  of  Edenton,  the  county 
seat  of  Chowan  County. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  find  out  just  when  and  how  Bap- 
tist influence  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Ballard's  Bridge, 
Moore,  in  his  History  of  North  Carolina,  states  that  Sir  Wil- 
liam Berkley,  Governor  of  Virginia,  drove  from  that  colony, 
in  1653,  the  Baptists  and  Quakers,  who  found  refuge  in  the 
region  near  Albemarle  Sound  in  North  Carolina.  This 
seems  to  be  trustworthy  history,  since  there  is  now  a  Quaker 
meeting-house  located  in  Berquimans  County  near  the  line 
between  the  counties  of  Perquimans  and  Chowan.  Morgan 
Edwards  says  there  were  Baptists  in  North  Carolina  as  early 
as  1695,  and  Dr.  Hawks,  in  enumerating  the  freeholders  in 
several  eastern  counties  of  North  Carolina,  gives  the  names 
of  many  Baptists,  and  among  them  two  ministers  of  the  Gos- 
pel— Paul  Palmer,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  William 
Burgers. 

There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  there  were  Baptists  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  State  as  early  as  1695,  but  the  Bap- 
tist principle  moved  very  slowly.  The  Baptists  were  few 
in  number  and  they  had  to  meet  opposition  on  every  hand. 


6  Introduction. 

It  is  very  evident  that  they  had  to  stem  the  torrent  of  an 
indifferent  and  godless  age.  They  labored  on  with  un- 
daunted courage,  and  in  1727  the  first  Baptist  church  in 
North  Carolina  was  organized  in  Camden  County  by  Paul 
Palmer.     This  church  still  exists  and  is  called  Shiloh. 

In  1729,  the  Meherrin  Church,  which  is  located  near  Mur- 
freesboro,  in  Hertford  County,  North  Carolina,  was  founded 
by  Joseph  Parker,  who  was  ordained  by  Paul  Palmer  of 
Camden  Co\mty.  This  church  granted  letters  to  some  of 
her  members  who  organized  Sandy  Run  Church,  in  Bertie 
County.  No  doubt  but '  that  Baptist  influence  from  Bertie 
and  Hertford  counties  reached  Chowan,  since  both  of  these 
counties  join  Chowan  County.  Baptist  influence  from  Yeo- 
pim  Church,  which  was  organized  near  Edenton  in  1775, 
may  have  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Ballard's  Bridge ;  but 
we  may  safely  say  that  the  most  direct  way  was  through  the 
earnest  preaching  of  Lemuel  Burkitt. 

Henry  Abbott,  who  left  England  while  young  and  came  to 
this  country  without  his  father's  permission,  joined  the  Bap- 
tist denomination,  and  afterwards  became  a  strong,  enthusi- 
astic minister  of  the  Gospel.  During  his  ministry,  he  and 
Lemuel  Burkitt  became  intimate  friends.  Several  years  be- 
fore Ballard's  Bridge  Church  was  organized  Lemuel  Burkitt 
and  Henry  Abbott  held  a  great  meeting  in  Amelia  County, 
Virginia.  When  the  meeting  closed,  Burkitt  and  Abbott 
journeyed  together  until  they  arrived  at  Suffolk.  There 
they  separated.  Abbott  returned  to  his  home  in  Camden 
County  by  way  of  Deep  Creek,  and  Mr.  Burkitt  journeyed 
through  Gates  County  on  his  way  towards  Edenton.  During 
that  day's  travel,  he  became  alarmed  at  the  irreligious  con- 
dition of  the  people ;  for  it  seemed  to  him  that  every  person 
had  turned  willingly  and  cheerfully  to  his  own  way,  forget- 
ting Him  who  has  laid  upon  Himself  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 
He  stopped  that  night  at  the  home  of  a  man  named  Welch  in 
the    neighborhood    of   Ballard's    Bridge.      He    retired,    fell 


Introduction.  7 

asleep,  and  dreamed,  an  angel  appeared  to  him  with  a  map 
of  the  territory  over  which  he  had  just  traveled  showing 
three  roads  leading  from  Suffolk  on  which  the  Gospel  had  not 
been  preached.  The  angel  commanded  him  to  secure  the  help 
of  Elder  Jonathan  Thomas,  who  was  a  man  of  talent,  very 
affable  in  his  address,  and  a  great  orator ;  or  Elder  Jeremiah 
Dargan,  a  remarkable,  pious  Christian,  and  a  very  zealous 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  preach  twice  at  each  of  the  places 
indicated.  Mr.  Dargan  was  at  that  time  holding  meetings 
near  the  head  waters  of  the  Albemarle  Sound.  Dargan  soon 
received  the  message  and  immediately  accompanied  Burkitt 
to  do  the  work  which  they  believed  God  had  assigned  to 
them.  They  made  the  tour  which  resulted  in  the  conversion 
of  Elder  David  Welch,  who  afterwards  became  pastor  of 
Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  In  a  short  while  the  church  was 
organized. 

Kev.  J.  A.  Speight,  D.D.,  in  his  History  of  Middle  Swamp 
Baptist  Church,  speaks  thus  of  Lemuel  Burkitt  during  the 
night  spent  at  the  home  of  Welch,  while  Burkitt  was  on  his 
journey  towards  Edenton: 

"Elder  Burkitt  spent  that  night  at  the  home  of  a  man 
named  Welch  at  Ballard's  Bridge,  and  on  retiring  for  rest 
gave  himself  up  to  the  sad,  sad  thought  that  in  all  that  day's 
ride  he  had  not  seen  a  single  Christian  man  or  woman.  Dur- 
ing that  night  like  Jacob  of  old,  his  rest  was  greatly  disturbed 
by  his  dreams,  so  much  so  that  he  felt  that  his  dream  must 
be  from  God.  Out  of  that  dream  which  to  him  seemed  like 
an  oracle  of  God,  and  putting  it  in  practical  Christian  ser- 
vice grew  Ballard's  Bridge  Church." 

In  connection  with  the  history  of  this  church  which  has 
wielded  such  a  powerful  influence  for  the  promotion  of  God's 
kingdom  in  Chowan  County,  and  which  stands  to-day  as  a 
monument  to  the  memory  of  this  great  and  good  man,  it 
seems  only  fitting  here  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of 
this  old  veteran  of  the  cross  who  finished  his  pilgrimage  with 


8  Introduction. 

honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  the  denomination  in  which 
he  labored. 

At  his  death  there  was  a  short  sketch  of  his  life  entered 
upon  the  old  church  record  of  Sandy  Run,  in  Bertie  County. 
This  was  recently  collected  for  publication  by  Thomas  M. 
Pittmann.     It  reads  as  follows: 

"A  Few  Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Life,  Ministry, 
and  Death  of  Lemuel  Burkitt,  Late  Pastor  of 
Christ's  Church  at  Sandy  Run. 

"Elder  Lemuel  Burkitt  was  bom  about  the  year  1750,  in 
Chowan  County,  of  religious  parents.  Received  a  good  Eng- 
lish education.  It  was  the  will  of .  God  to  convert  his  soul 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  being  convinced  of  the  necessity 
of  believer's  baptism  as  a  worthy  example  laid  down  by  his 
divine  Master,  was  baptized  by  Elder  Henry  Abbott  in  Pas- 
quotank River,  July,  1771,  and  began  to  preach  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  immediately.  His  father  in- 
tended him  for  the  law,  but  his  Heavenly  Father  called  him 
and  justified  him  for  a  much  more  honorable  office,  to  be  an 
able  minister  of  the  Xew  Testament  to  proclaim  the  good 
news  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentile  world.  It  is  difficult  to 
give  a  just  narrative  of  the  first  several  years  of  this  pious 
man's  labors,  as  there  are  but  few  living  at  this  time  who 
are  able  to  follow  him  in  that  part  of  his  ministry.  But  in 
his  travels  God  was  pleased  to  send  him  to  visit  the  church 
at  Sandy  Run,  who  had  lost  their  pastor  (James  Abington), 
who  was  their  former  pastor.  Iniquity  abounded  and  the 
love  of  many  waxed  cold.  But  there  were  a  few  names 
which  remained  steadfast  and  orderly  church  members.  The 
great  desire  they  had  for  a  reformation  and  revival  in  the 
church  induced  them  to  petition  the  Association  in  1772  for 
advice  in  this  matter.  The  Association,  taking  the  same  un- 
der consideration,  appointed  Elders  Jonathan  Thomas,  John 
Moore,  and  Lemuel  Burkitt  to  attend  them,  who  accordingly 
attended  the  church,  and  in  conference  being  assembled,  ad- 


Introduction.  9 

vised  the  church  to  relate  their  experience  and  come  under 
a  reexamination,  which  they  did.  The  church  then  estab- 
lished on  a  new  constitution,  made  choice  of  Lemuel  Bur- 
kitt  for  their  pastor,  who  was  accordingly  ordained  by  Elders 
Thomas  and  Maglamre,  November,  1773,  in  which  capacity 
he  remained  during  his  natural  life ;  he  labored  in  the  min- 
istry upwards  of  thirty-four  years.  But  we  may  venture  to 
say  that  there  are  but  few  that  hath  equaled  for  indefatiga- 
ble labors  and  happy  success  in  his  pious  office.  He  was 
a  man  of  strong  and  steady  mind,  was  well  acquainted  with 
men,  was  a  close  reasoner,  was  remarkably  methodical  in  the 
arrangement  of  his  discourse,  and  truly  orthodox  in  his  theo- 
logical sentiments,  which  his  writings  that  are  extant  will 
verify.  His  discourse  was  generally  well  adapted  to  suit  the 
state  of  religion  and  the  situation  of  the  times  when  and 
where  he  preached ;  was  warm  in  his  address  so  that  he  never 
failed  of  drawing  the  attention  of  his  audience,  and  seldom 
closed  his  subject  without  part  of  the  assembly  were  in  tears. 
"His  zeal  for  the  cause  of  God  was  bold  and  persevering, 
was  instrumental  under  the  Divine  Master  in  bringing  many 
souls  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  more  particularly 
in  his  latter  clays  his  conversation  was  most  turned  on  the 
subject  of  religion.  His  acquaintances  and  those  who  had 
experienced  religion  were  ever  pleased  with  the  mildness  of 
his  words  and  meekness  of  his  expressions.  About  the  year 
of  our  Lord  1S01  religion  appeared  to  be  at  a  very  low  ebb 
in  North  Carolina.  About  this  time  and  the  year  following 
a  glorious  work  of  the  Lord  took  place  in  the  States  of  Ten- 
nessee and  Kentucky.  The  good  news  reached  these  regions, 
when  Elder  Burkitt  set  out  to  realize  the  truth  of  common  re- 
port. After  surmounting  the  fatigues  of  climbing  the  lofty 
mountains  in  his  old  age,  he  reached  those  States  where  the 
wonderful  works  of  God  were  displaying  the  trophies  of  divine 
grace.  His  soul  caught  the  seraphic  flame.  He  preached 
almost  night  and  day  for  several  weeks  in  those  States  with 


10  Introduction. 

great  acceptance,  then  returned  home  fired  with  an  ardent  zeal 
surpassing  anything  we  before  had  seen ;  communicated  the 
same  amongst  his  own  and  adjacent  churches.  Soon  after 
his  return,  set  out  to  traveling  and  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  in  preaching  day  and  night.  Repeatedly  would 
leave  the  pulpit,  come  down  among  the  people,  fall  on  his 
knees,  and  with  tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  praying  sin- 
ners in  Christ's  stead  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 

"From  this  a  glorious  revival  of  religion  took  place  in  the 
churches  composing  the  Kehukee  Association,  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  and  in  the  space  of  two  or  three  years  several 
thousands  were  added  and  a  number  of  new  churches  consti- 
tuted. It  appeared  the  revival  broke  out  first  in  his  own 
church,  and  it  appeared  his  Lord  and  Master  blessed  his 
labors  wherever  he  preached,  and  his  conduct  as  a  pastor  and 
a  preacher  was  truly  amiable  and  interesting.  Ever  ready 
to  give  each  one  his  portion  of  meat  in  due  season,  was  ever 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  duty  both  to  saint  and  sinner, 
ever  ready  to  advise  or  instruct  those  who  were  blind  and 
needy,  and  ever  ready  to  give  encouragement  to  those  who 
were  seeking  to  find  rest  to  their  souls — thus  he  continued 
laboring  as  a  faithful  servant  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  as  an 
example  of  piety,  until  as  (himself  observed  just  before  his 
death)  his  work  was  done,  which  appeared  in  the  pulpit, 
when  he  was  taken  with  an  ague  and  after  a  long  and  painful 
illness,  which  he  bore  with  more  than  common  fortitude  and 
resignation  to  the  last  moment  of  his  life.  And  as  his  life 
was  remarkable  for  piety  and  zeal,  so  was  his  death  for  joy 
and  confidence.  Whilst  going  he  sung  his  soul  away  into 
the  expanded  arms  of  his  compassionate  Redeemer  on  the 
5th  day  of  [November,  in -the  year  of  our  Lord  1807,  aged  57 
years,  and  it  may  truly  be  said  this  clay,  a  great  man  of  God 
is  fallen  in  Israel.  Thus  it  hath  pleased  the  Almighty  Dis- 
poser of  events  to  take  to  Himself  this  amiable  character. 
He  has  thrown  off  every  burden  and  has  escaped  from  every 


Introduction.  11 

snare;  the  head  aches  no  more,  the  eyes  that  have  so  often 
wept  for  poor  sinners  will  weep  no  more;  he  has  received 
a  final  release  from  trouble  and  pain  and  an  everlasting  dis- 
charge from  sorrow. 

"In  the  death  of  this  great  man  of  God  the  church  of  which 
he  was  pastor  has  sustained  a  severe  and  almost  irreparable 
loss,  the  churches  of  the  Baptist  Society  a  warm,  generous, 
benevolent  friend,  his  afflicted  wife  and  children  a  kind,  ten- 
der, affectionate  husband  and  parent,  his  servants  an  indul- 
gent master,  the  community  at  large  a  consistent  and  true 
friend.  Elder  Burkitt  was  a  true  Bepublican,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  convention  when  the  Federal  Constitution  was 
about  to  be  adopted.  His  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by 
Elder  Spivey  on  the  fourth  Lord's  day  in  November,  1807, 
to  a  numerous  and  attentive  audience  from  Paul's  2d  Epistle 
to  Timothy,  4th  chapter,  6,  7,  8  verses." 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Baptist  Church 

As  the  old  records  of  the  early  history  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Baptist  Church  were  consumed  by  fire  from  its  constitution 
in  1781  to  the  8th  day  of  Mack,  1818,  and  the  records  from 
1818  to  August  16,  1848,  have  been  lost,  I  must  depend 
very  largely  for  my  information  from  the  memory  of  those 
who  are  still  living.  This  I  consider  to  be  trustworthy 
history. 

The  earnest  appeals  of  the  Gospel  presented  by  Rev.  Lem- 
uel Burkitt  and  other  ministers  who  were  colaborers  with 
him  aroused  a  deep  interest  in  the  people  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Ballard's  Bridge.  Soon  this  Christian  influence  was 
manifested,  and  through  the  untiring  efforts  of  Rev.  Lemuel 
Burkitt,  the  people  came  together  and  built  a  house  of  wor- 
ship prior  to  June,  1780,  as  shown  by  the  deed. 

The  land  upon  which  Ballard's  Bridge  Church  now  stands 
was  donated  by  William  Bond,  of  Edenton.  The  deed  was" 
given  June  26,  1780.  In  1781,  the  church  was  organized 
as  Ballard's  Bridge  Baptist  Church. 

It  may  be  interesting  just  here  to  quote  the  deed.  The 
deed  appears  as  follows: 

"Deed  of  Gift: 

"Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  William  Bond,  son 
of  Lewis  Bond,  of  the  Province  of  North  Carolina  and  Coun- 
ty of  Chowan ;  for  the  love  and  esteem  I  bear  to  the  Baptist 
Society  and  for  the  desire  I  have  to  promote  religion,  I  do 
give  unto  them  a  certain  parcel  of  land  situated  in  the  county 
aforesaid  near  Ballard's  Bridge  for  the  use  of  a  meeting- 
house where  the  meeting-house  now  stands;  the  said  land 
being  laid  off  round  the  meeting-house  as  follows: 

"Beginning  at  the  main  road  at  a  red  oak  marked  tree 
then  by  a  line  of  marked  trees  near  a  west  course  to  a  white 


14  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

oak  a  corner  tree,  then  by  a  line  of  marked  trees  near  a  south 
course  to  Ballard's  Creek  Swamp ;  then  up  the  said  swamp 
to  the  road;  then  along  the  road  to  the  first  station,  contain- 
ing about  two  acres  of  land,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  which 
I  promise  to  warrant  and  defend  the  same,  and  to  make  a 
good  right  and  title  to  the  Baptist  Society  forever  with  all 
the  rights  and  privileges  thereto  belonging.  To  have  and 
to  hold  and  to  enjoy  the  same  free  from  all  lawful  claims  or 
demands  of  any  person  whatsoever,  and  this  my  gift  and  for 
the  certainty  of  this  being  my  free  consent  and  gift,  I  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  seal,  this  the  26th  day  of  June,  1780. 

WILLIAM  BOND.      (Seal.) 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of  Josiah 
Speight." 

The  first  church  house  is  said  to  have  been  a  log  building. 
How  long  they  worshiped  in  this  building,  it  is  impossible 
to  say,  or  when  the  next  house  was  built ;  there  is  no  record. 
It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  the  Christian  influence  was  like 
the  leaven  hid  in  the  meal. 

In  1846,  people  began  to  manifest  great  interest  in  the 
Gospel  message,  so  much  so  that  they  flocked  to  the  church 
on  jjreaching  days  in  such  numbers  that  the  old  house  became 
insufficient  to  accommodate  the  congregation.  It  was  in  this 
year,  1846,  that  a  contract  for  a  new  building  was  let  out 
to  the  lowest  bidder.  William  H.  Elliott  was  the  contractor, 
at  the  sum  of  $1,400.  When,  in  1847,  the  contract  was  com- 
pleted, Dr.  Eichard  Dillard,  William  J.  Holley,  and  Wil- 
liam H.  Elliott  gave  $100.00  each,  and  Mr.  John  G.  Small 
gave  $50.00.  Not  one  of  these  gentlemen  had  ever  made 
any  profession  of  religion  at  that  time,  and  were  not  mem- 
bers of  any  church.  In  May,  1848,  the  new  house  was  dedi- 
cated. The  sermon  was  preached  by  Quinton  H.  Trotman, 
who  has  been  called  the  "prince  of  preachers,"  to  a  large  and 
attentive  audience.  In  August,  1848,  a  protracted  meeting 
was  held  in  the  new  building,  lasting  one  week,  when  Wil- 


History  of  Ballabd's  Bridge  Church.  15 

liam  H.  Elliott,  with  148  more,  professed  religion,  and  after 
they  were  baptized,  united  with  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 
Mr.  Elliott  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  remained  a  good,  con- 
sistent member  of  the  old  church  until  his  death,  giving 
largely  of  his  means  to  forward  the  Lord's  cause  at  his  old 
church. 

The  church  house  which  was  built  by  Mr.  Elliott  is  still 
standing,  but  it  has  been,  r'epaired  once.  In  September, 
1883,  the  church  met  in  a  regular  monthly  meeting  and  let 
out  the  house  for  repair  to  the  lowest  bidder.  John  M.  Fore- 
hand became  the  lowest  bidder,  at  $570.00.  The  work  was 
to  be  done  according  to  contract,  which  was  completed.  Mr. 
Forehand  is  still  living  and  is  a  member  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Church.  He  is  a  prominent  man  in  his  county,  a  man  of 
wealth,  and  one  of  the  most  liberal  members  of  his  church. 

Pastors. 

Rev.  David  Welch  was  the  first  pastor  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Church.  Elder  Welch  was  converted  under  the  preaching  of 
Elders  Jeremiah  Dargan  and  Lemuel  Burkitt  while  they 
were  on  their  preaching  tour  which  was  indicated  in  Bur- 
kitt's  dream  before  Ballard's  Bridge  Church  was  organized. 
He  held  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church  until  his  death.  It 
is  almost  certain  that  he  served  the  church  without  any 
financial  support  from  the  church,  as  many  pastors  at  that 
day  believed  it  to  be  wrong  to  make  any  charge  for  preaching 
the  Gospel. 

After  the  death  of  Elder  Welch,  the  church  was  without 
a  pastor  for  a  few  years.  There  is  no  available  record  of 
this  trying  period,  but  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  the  dear 
old  church  house  was  not  forsaken  by  God's  humble  servants, 
who  were  led  by  God  to  assemble  at  His  house  for  com- 
munion and  worship. 

At  length  Elder  John  M.  Cale  took  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  church.     He  held  this  charge  until  about  the  year  1804. 


16  Histoey  of  Balxaed's  Beidge  Chukgh. 

Then  the  church  was  again  left  pastorless.  I  have  been  un- 
able to  secure  any  further  record  of  this  man. 

Elder  John  Nowel  became  her  next  occasional  pastor  and 
so  continued  during  his  life.  It  is  very  evident  that  he 
served  the  church  without  any  financial  remuneration  for 
his  labor. 

After  the  death  of  Elder  Nowel,  Elder  Nathaniel  Pruden 
took  occasional  charge  during  his  life.  He  was  born  in  Gates 
County  in  1781,  the  year  in  which  Ballard's  Bridge  Church 
was  organized.  It  will  be  remembered  that  in  this  same 
year,  October  19,  1781,  Lord  Cornwallis  surrendered  to 
George  Washington  at  Yorktown.  He  was  the  first  pastor 
of  Middle  Swamp  Baptist  Church  and  continued  so  until 
his  death  in  1815.  He  was  a  man  of  enthusiasm  and  power, 
and  much  of  his  time  was  spent  in  preaching  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  His  preaching  was  acceptable  to  the  people 
with  whom  and  for  whom  he  labored,  and  God  greatly  blessed 
his  efforts. 

Bev.  J.  A.  Speight,  D.D.,  in  his  History  of  Middle  Swamp 
Baptist  Church,  speaks  thus  of  Nathaniel  Pruden: 

"Nathaniel  Pruden  was  the  first  pastor  [that  is,  of  Middle 
Swamp  Church].  The  opportunity  and  the  man  seemed  to 
have  met,  for,  like  his  Master  and  John  the  Baptist,  his  pure 
model  of  life  and  noble  principle  of  action  set  his  life  on  fire 
to  save  souls ;  for  his  preaching  was  like  a  pent-up  force 
throbbing  with  audible  and  intolerable  longing  after  the  lost, 
as  his  eyes  swept  over  fields  of  sin  which  he  believed  were 
ripe  for  the  harvest.  Like  a  doe  panting  for  the  brook  and 
with  the  flush  of  victory  on  his  face  and  the  shout  of  triumph 
on  his  lips,  he  sickened  and  died.  *  *  *  *  Like  the 
prophet  of  old,  his  life  caught  on  fire  in  death  and  while 
friends  wept  and  angels  gazed,  he  bared  himself  out  of  time 
and  went  home  to  glory." 

At  the  death  of  Nathaniel  Pruden,  the  church  was  again 
destitute  of  a  pastor  for  some  little  time.      It  is  impossible 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  17 

to  say  how  long,  or  obtain  an  accurate  account  of  affairs  of 
the  church  during  these  years. 

About  the  year  1812,  a  revival  took  place,  and  many  were 
added  to  the  membership  of  the  church.  There  were  two, 
Miles  Welch  and  John  Jordan,  among  this  number  who  were 
divinely  impressed  tbat  the  Lord  had  a  great  work  for  them 
to  do  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  Soon  they  began  to  fulfill 
their  mission  in  warning  sinners  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come. 

About  the  year  1S18,  Elder  Miles  Welch  was  ordained  to 
the  full  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry  by  Elders  Jesse  Reid 
and  Thomas  Gardner.  In  1826,  he  took  the  pastoral  care 
of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church  and  served  until  1837.  He  re- 
ceived very  little  or  no  pay  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  The 
church  offered  to  pay  him,  but  he  objected  to  it  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  selling  the  Gospel.  At  the  close  of  his  preaching, 
he  stated  that  he  had  never  charged  anything  for  preaching 
and  he  was  glad  that  he  hadn't ;  for  it  is  not  right. 

Elder  William  White  was  the  next  pastor.  He  was  born 
in  Chowan  County  in  1784  and  reared  in  a  Quaker  family. 
He  was  in  the  thirty-second  year  of  his  age  when  he  confessed 
faith  in  Christ  and  joined  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  ~No 
doubt  but  that  his  Quaker  environments  had  a  great  influence 
in  causing  him  to  delay  connecting  himself  with  the  Baptist 
denomination.  The  church  called  him  as  her  pastor  in  1837, 
only  three  years  after  his  conversion.  He  held  this  station 
for  twelve  years.  Though  entering  the  ministry  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  he  gathered  many  sheaves  into  the  garner.  He 
closed  his  ministry  with  honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  the 
denomination  in  which  he  labored. 

It  is  said  of  him,  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  that  he 
exemplified  in  his  life  Paul's  portraiture  of  charity.  So, 
when  the  hour  of  his  departure  was  at  hand,  he  could  look 
with  unclouded  eyes  to  the  mountains  of  everlasting  joy  on 
the  other  shore. 

In  1848,  during  the  ministry  of  Elder  White,  the  Chowan 


18  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

Baptist  Association  met  with  the  church  at  Bamoth  Gilead 
and  adopted  some  religious  principles  with  which  the  church 
at  Ballard's  Bridge  did  not  agree.  In  the  conference  held 
in  April,  1849,  just  before  the  meeting  of  the  next  Associa- 
tion, the  church  requested  the  clerk,  Mr.  Thomas  Satterfield, 
to  prepare  a  letter  of  correspondence  in  which  he  should 
insist  that  the  church  was  opposed  to  the  declaration  of  the 
religious  principles  which  were  adopted  by  the  Association, 
and  that  they  were  going  to  take  the  New  Testament  as  a 
guide  for  their  faith  and  practice. 

When  Elder  White  closed  his  ministry  at  Ballard's  Bridge, 
the  church  was  able  to  look  to  one  of  her  own  members  to 
take  his  place.  The  church  on  May  12,  1849,  recommended 
Daniel  V.  Etheridge  to  the  next  Association  for  examination 
and  ordination,  according  to  the  resolution  passed  by  the 
Chowan  Association  in  1834: 

"Resolved,  That  this  Association  recommend  to  the 
churches  that,  whenever  they  wish  one  of  their  members 
ordained,  they  send  him  up  to  the  Association  for  examina- 
tion and  ordination." 

This  plan  was  finally  abandoned  and  the  ordination  of 
ministers  remanded  to  the  church  when  and  where  only  it 
properly  belongs. 

Elder  Etheridge  was  ordained  August  9,  1849.  The  pres- 
bytery was  composed  of  Elders  Quinton  H.  Trotman,  Aaron 
Jones,  and  Thomas  Waff.  Elder  Etheridge  was  a  man  of 
prayer  and  a  fluent  speaker.  On  September  8,  1849,  he  was 
duly  elected  pastor  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  He  served 
the  first  year  without  any  pastoral  support  from  the  church. 
In  January,  1851,  the  cburch  agreed  to  pay  the  pastor 
$150.00  which  was  to  be  raised  by  taxation.  On  the  next 
meeting  this  motion  was  remanded  and  the  raising  of  money 
for  the  pastor  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  deacons  with 
some  other  chosen  members.  They  agreed  to  pay  him 
$127.00.  His  salary  varied  during  his  ministry  which 
finally  closed  December,  1869. 


History  or  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  19 

•  His  ministry  was  marked  by  a  general  home-coming  of 
sinners,  who  did  not  wait  for  special  seasons  of  revivals  to 
join  the  church.  Up  to  the  Civil  War  his  ministry  seemed 
to  have  been  quiet  and  progressive,  but  then  came  a  clash 
which  has  no  equals  in  the  annals  of  the  history  of  this 
church.  This  was  a  time  that  tried  men's  souls.  It  looked 
as  if  the  whole  church  would  be  wrecked  when  the  war  came 
on.  As  the  war  clouds  gathered  thick  and  threatening  over 
our  country,  there  were  mutterings  of  vengeance,  threaten- 
ings  of  calamity,  forecasts  of  disaster,  visions  of  conflict  in 
the  church  at  Ballard's  Bridge. 

Many  of  her  members  were  slaveholders  and  a  number  of 
these  slaves  were  members  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  The 
slaveowners  desired  to  retain  their  slaves,  and  they  sought 
to  secure  aid  through  the  church  with  reference  to  their  hold- 
ing them.  They  were  wealthy  and  influential  men  in  the 
church,  and  they  succeeded  in  influencing  the  church  to  adopt 
the  following  resolution  in  June,  1862  : 

"Resolved,  That  if  any  colored  member  leave  home  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  with  the  Yankees,  he  or  she  shall  be 
expelled  from  the  church." 

In  June.  1863,  they  passed  another  resolution: 

''Resolved,  That  all  white  members  that  have  taken  up 
arms  and  aided  the  enemy  of  our  country,  and  all  colored 
members  that  have  run  off  from  their  owners  for  the  purpose 
of  gaining  Yankee  freedom,  be  and  they  are  hereby  expelled 
from  the  church." 

Elder  Etheridge  was  a  Union  man.  He  preached  that 
secession  was  not  Scriptural  and  stood  for  what  he  believed 
to  be  right.  He  desired  to  do  only  those  things  which  would 
meet  the  approbation  of  his  great  "Task  Master."  A  part 
of  the  members  stood  firm  with  Elder  Etheridge,  the  other 
part  stood  for  the  Confederacy.  In  a  short  while  Elder 
Etheridge  was  charged  with  acting  inconsistently  in  visiting 
the  camps  of  the  enemy,  known  as  "buffaloes,"  and  preach- 


20  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

ing  doctrines  detrimental  to  the  cause  of  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. A  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate  the 
charge  against  Elder  Etheridge.  After  two  months  investi- 
gation, they  reported  that  they  were  unable  to  find  proof 
of  a  single  charge.  In  a  short  while  Elder  Etheridge  con- 
fessed before  the  church  that  he  had  acted  unwisely,  and 
that  he  would  be  more  careful  the  next  time.  On  motion 
Elder  Etheridge  was  unanimously  forgiven,  but  his  ministry 
was  greatly  crippled. 

On  account  of  this  trouble,  Mr.  Isaac  Byrum,  a  faithful 
servant  of  God  and  afterwards  a  deacon,  was  chosen  modera- 
tor for  the  year  1863.  Elder  Etheridge  was  reelected  mode- 
rator in  1864  and  continued  his  work  until  1869.  In  this 
year,  the  strife  between  the  brethren,  which  took  its  rise 
during  the  war,  reached  its  final  culmination.  In  January, 
1869,  the  clerk,  Richard  D.  Simpson,  read  out  a  petition  of 
about  fifty  members  asking  letters  of  dismission  to  organize 
another  church  in  the  same  house.  This  petition,  after  some 
debate,  was  voted  down.  Then  a  part  of  them  withdrew, 
organized,  and  called  Elder  T.  J.  Knapp  for  their  pastor, 
and  chose  their  Sunday  for  preaching.  This  is  known  as 
the  "great  split"  in  the  church.  This  state  of  affairs  did 
not  exist  long.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1869,  Elder  Ethe- 
ridge left  the  church  and  went  to  Roanoke  Island  where,  it 
is  said,  he  joined  the  Disciple  Baptists  and  finally  left  the 
ministry.  Elder  T.  J.  Knapp  soon  left  and  went  to  Indiana 
and  joined  the  Episcopal  church. 

Elder  West  Leary  was  the  next  pastor.  There  is  but  little 
record  of  this  man  or  his  work  at  Ballard's  Bridge.  He 
came  to  this  church  when  she  was  in  a  low  spiritual  condi- 
tion. He  served  three  years,  1870-1873.  The  church  agreed 
to  pay  him  $125.00  certain,  or  $150.00  if  the  church  could 
raise  it.  There  were  some  additions  to  the  church  under  his 
ministry. 

Then  Daniel  J.  Roberts  took  charge  of  the  church  for  two 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  21 

years,  1873  and  1874,  at  a  salary  of  $135.00.  There  was 
one  great  revival  during  his  ministry  in  which  there  were 
fifty-eight  additions  to  the  church. 

After  two  years  service  by  Elder  Koberts,  the  church 
called  Rev.  West  Leary  the  second  time.  He  served  four 
more  years,  ending  December,  1878. 

Elder  T.  T. '  Speight  was  the  next  pastor.  He  served  the 
church  nine  years.  His  ministry  was  a  benediction  and  a 
source  of  great  strength  to  the  church.  During  his  ministry, 
there  were  some  great  revivals  with  208  additions  to  the 
church.  At  the  close  of  his  ministry  the  church  numbered 
481  members,  and  it  is  said  that  the  missionary  spirit  in- 
creased fourfold. 

Elder  Speight  was  born  in  Gates  County  and  reared  in  a 
Christian  home.  His  father,  Henry  Speight,  was  a  Bap- 
tist minister.  Brother  Speight  served  in  the  Civil  War, 
came  home,  and  was  convicted  of  his  sins  in  a  great  revival 
held  at  Middle  Swamp  church  in  1866.  He  was  convicted 
of  sin  on  Saturday  afternoon,  but  it  was  about  four  o'clock 
next  morning,  after  an  all-night  praj'er  meeting  at  his  old 
home  when  the  vision  of  gloom  was  lifted  from  his  soul. 
He  returned  to  the  church  next  day  with  a  message  of 
a  loving  Saviour  to  hardened  sinners.  "A  divine  spell 
seemed  to  hang  about  him  as  his  words,  like  thunderbolts, 
bored  their  way  with  quenchless  zeal  into  the  hearts  and 
lives  and  consciences  of  sinners  old  and  young." 

Eor  the  lack  of  information,  I  am  unable  to  follow  accu- 
rately the  ministerial  career  of  this  good  man.  "His  minis- 
try has  built  up  the  cause  of  Christ,  edified  and  made  glad 
the  saints  of  God,  and  to  the  unconverted  his  sermons  have 
seemed  God-filled  and  eternity-enclosed."  When  his  labors 
on  earth  shall  have  ended,  he  will  continue  to  live  and  work 
through  the  many  souls  whom  he  has  led  to  Christ  and  who, 
out  of  hearts  filled  with  cherished  memories,  will  speak  in 
adoring  praise  of  this  great  man  of  God. 


22  Histobv  ot  Ballabd's  Bbidge  Chtjech. 

Elder  A.  W.  Burfoot  was  the  next  pastor,  who  rendered 
faithful  and  efficient  service  to  the  church  for  six  years. 
The  church  found  in  him  a  good  under  shepherd.  He  was 
meek  and  gentle,  a  faithful  exponent  of  the  Gospel,  ready 
at  all  times  to  cry  down  evil  on  every  hand,  and  exalt  virtue 
and  righteousness  above  all  things  else.  During  his  ministry 
at  the  church  he  baptized  94  persons,  and  many  others  were 
added  to  the  church  by  letter  and  restoration. 

To  my  regret  I  have  been  unable  to  gather  some  interest- 
ing facts  about  this  man's  life  prior  to  his  ministry  at  Bal- 
lard's Bridge.  If  my  memory  serve  me  correctly,  he  was 
an  old  Confederate  soldier,  who  was  wounded  in  the  Civil 
War.  He  made  a  profound  impression  upon  me  as  an 
earnest  Christian  with  a  shepherd's  heart.  It  was  during 
his  ministry  that  I  was  converted,  and  baptized  at  the  head 
of  a  list  of  2S  into  the  fellowship  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church 
on  October  8,  1893.  All  that  ever  heard  him  long  can  not 
fail  to  remember  the  melody  of  his  voice,  and  his  tender  ap- 
peals to  sinners  through  the  Gospel  which  he  preached.  We 
loved  him  for  his  stainless  purity,  his  shining  character  as 
a  Christian  gentleman,  his  devout  and  humble  piety,  his  un- 
swerving loyalty  to  truth,  as  he  saw  it,  and  to  God  in  so  far 
as  he  was  able  to  apprehend  Him. 

Elder  C.  J.  Woodson  followed  A.  W.  Burfoot  as  pastor 
and  served  the  church  two  years.  He  conducted  one  pro- 
tracted meeting  at  the  church,  the  result  of  which  he  bap- 
tized twenty-three  candidates.  He  was  a  man  who  spoke 
with  enthusiasm  and  power,  not  fearing  to  speak  his  mind. 
His  manner  of  speaking  was  a  little  quaint  in  that  he  would 
often  close  his  eyes  at  intervals  during  his  discourse. 

"Bro  Woodson  was  raised  in  Amelia  County,  Virginia ; 
was  converted  and  joined  the  Presbyterian  church.  He 
moved  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
law.  He  was  in  the  capitol  building  in  Richmond  when  the 
building  fell  and  was  caught  with  a  vast  mimber  of  others 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  23 

in  the  debris.  Crushed  and  bruised  and  suffocating  from 
lime  dust,  his  soul  caught  a  view  of  God  which  it  never  had 
before,  and  his  last  resolve  before  losing  consciousness  was 
to  promise  God  if  rescued  he  would  obey  Him  in  Christian 
baptism  and  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  preaching  the 
Gospel.  He  was  pulled  from  under  the  rubbish  in  a  sense- 
less condition,  but  be  kept  his  promise  to  his  soul  and  to  his 
God." 

Elder  Willie  B.  Waff  took  charge  as  pastor  of  Ballard's 
Bridge,  January,  1896,  and  served  faithfully  and  well  for 
ten  years.  During  his  faithful  ministry,  there  was  an  addi- 
tional average  of  twenty  members  each  year.  There  was  a 
growth  in  the  spirit  of  giving.  The  first  year  of  his  pastorate, 
the  church  gave  for  missions  and  benevolence  $129.83.  The 
last  year  the  church  gave  $259.86.  Some  years,  when  there 
were  special  objects,  such  as  the  Baptist  University,  C.  B.  F. 
Institute,  and  the  Orphanage,  the  church  gave  over  $400.00 
a  year.  During  the  year  1903,  the  church  gave  $492.32. 
Tbe  church  paid  Bro.  Waff  $250.00  for  his  service.  When 
he  left,  there  was  a  good  missionary  society  connected  with 
the  church  doing  some  good  work  for  the  Master. 

Elder  Waff  was  no  pulpit  orator*  but  those  who  sought 
to  know  God's  will  and  were  hungering  for  the  truth  found 
in  him  a  faithful  exponent  of  God's  word.  It  was  my  exalted 
privilege  to  spend  one  school  year  in  his  home.  His  pure 
example,  and  the  gentle  spirit  which  characterized  his  home 
life  showed  that  he  lived  the  Gospel  as  well  as  preached  the 
Gospel.  To  the  memory  of  this  great  and  good  man,  my 
heart  will  ever  respond  in  cheerful  and  loving  recognition. 
It  was  he  who  lent  a  helping  hand  and  spoke  a  cheering  word 
in  my  time  of  sore  need. 

Bro.  Willie  B.  Waff,  the  son  of  James  T.  and  Elizabeth 
B.  Waff,  was  born  in  Chowan  County,  North  Carolina,  six 
miles  below  Edenton,  in  1853.  When  a  babe,  some  young 
people,  who  were  visiting  his  home,   had   a   candy  pulling. 


2-4  History  of  Ballabd's  Bridge  Church. 

and  when  the  boiling  molasses  was  poured  into  a  dish,  the 
babe  crawled  up  to  the  dish  and  thrust  his  right  hand  into 
the  hot  molasses.  The  burn  caused  a  badly  drawn  and 
crooked  hand  for  the  remainder  of  life. 

It  was  his  good  fortune  to  be  reared  in  a  Christian  home 
and  from  early  childhood  he  has  been  connected  with  the 
Sunday  School,  either  as  scholar,  teacher,  or  superintendent. 
At  the  early  age  of  thirteen  he  professed  religion  and  was 
baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  Yeopim  Baptist  Church  by 
Elder  West  Leary  who  wag  once  pastor  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Church. 

He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  and  went  to  school  at  in- 
tervals. In  January,  1873,  he  entered  Reynoldson  Male  In- 
stitute, in  Gates  County,  where  he  spent  three  years,  first 
under  Mr.  J.  F.  Howell,  and  then  under  his  brother,  T.  E. 
Waff,  who  took  charge  of  the  school  there  in  the  fall  of  "73. 
His  father  moved  up  there  in  the  winter  of  '76  for  the  pur- 
pose of  educating  his  children.  He  taught  one  year  near 
Carsville,  Virginia,  and  in  September.  1877,  went  to  Wake 
Forest  College,  where  he  spent  three  years,  taking  the  B.  A. 
decree  in  June,  1880.  Soon  after  he  matriculated  at  Wake 
Forest  College,  his  money  gave  out  and  dark  days  came.  His 
brother  sought  to  borrow  money  for  him  from  a  rich  man 
in  Gates  County,  but  he  charged  10  per  cent  interest  and 
real  estate  security,  which  he  was  unable  to  give.  It  looked 
for  a  while  as  if  he  would  have  to  leave  college,  but  in  this 
time  of  need  the  Lord  gave  him  a  friend  in  the  person  of 
Mr.  John  E.  Ray,  then  teacher  at  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  In- 
stitution in  Raleigh,  who  let  him  have  the  much  needed 
money  on  his  personal  note  and  at.  6  per  cent  interest.  Thus 
a  heavy  burden  was  lifted  from  his  heart.  He  stood  well  in 
his  classes,  and  at  the  close  of  his  first  year  took  the  Whitfield 
Latin  medal.  After  his  <j-raduation,  he  taught  school  two  years 
in  Davidson  County  and  one  year  in  Forsyth  County.  While 
up  there,  he  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Willie  T.  Trayn- 


Histoky  of  Ballabd's  Bridge  Chubch.  25 

ham,  who  still  shares  with  him  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  life. 
While  he  was  teaching,  he  took  an  active  part  in  both  church 
and  Sunday  School  work.  He  frequently  conducted  prayer 
meeting,  and  sometimes  in  the  absence  of  the  pastor  con- 
ducted the  monthly  service. 

In  the  summer  of  1883,  he  returned  to  Reynoldson  to 
assist  his  brother  in  teaching.  There  he  was  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  of  preaching,  and  after  a  long  struggle 
with  the  question,  he  decided  to  preach  the  Gospel.  In  Au- 
gust, 1884,  he  was  licensed  by  Beynoldson  Church,  and  at 
the  next  meeting,  the  church,  being  without  a  pastor,  called 
him  to  supply  for  them  through  the  remainder  of  the  year. 
Then  he  was  elected  pastor  and  in  January,  1885,  was  or- 
dained by  Elders  R.  R.  Overby  and  T.  T.  Speight.  He 
served  Reynoldson  Church  22  years  and  3  months.  He  was 
appointed  by  the  Yeopim  Union  to  labor  as  a  missionary  at 
two  points  in  Gates  County,  at  each  of  which  he  built  up  a 
church,  Ariel  and  Beulah.  He  labored  at  Ariel  five  years 
and  at  Beulah  ten  years.  He  served  Middle  Swamp  Church 
six  years  and  Cool  Spring  Church  seven  years.  Sixteen  years 
mark  the  period  of  his  service  at  Great  Fork,  Virginia.  He 
held  the  pastorate  at  Gatesville  and  Ballard's  Bridge  each 
ten  years.  After  leaving  Ballard's  Bridge,  he  served  Mace- 
donia Church  one  year,  and  then  took  up  a  field  of  work  near 
Murfreesboro,  where  he  is  now  rendering  efficient  and  much 
appreciated  service  for  the  Master.  During  his  faithful 
ministry  all  of  his  churches  have  made  commendable  prog- 
ress, there  being  a  marked  growth  in  liberality.  His  people 
recognized  him  as  a  kind  under-shepherd.  He  was  highly 
esteemed  by  the  people  for  whom  and  with  whom  he  labored. 
When  he  left  the  Yeopim  Union,  the  people  recognized  him 
as  one  of  the  strongest  and  foremost  leaders  in  the  Union. 

Elder  J.  1ST.  Booth  was  the  next  pastor.  After  serving 
one  month,  he  resigned  to  take  a  field  in  South  Carolina. 

Elder  J.  0.  Alderman  followed  Elder  Booth,  taking  charge 


26  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

in  February,  1906.  He  is  pastor  now.  Soon  after  Bro. 
Alderman  took  charge  as  pastor,  the  sickness  of  his  wife 
and  his  own  ill  health  prevented  our  getting  the  full  value  of 
his  fertile  mind,  but  the  church  kept  pace  in  liberality  and 
Christian  interest  with  her  past  records  and  is  now  making 
some  progress.  It  is  impossible  here  to  give  the  full  estimate 
of  his  worth.  He  is  still  in  the  din  of  battle,  but  it  is  hoped 
that  when  his  labors  with  us  shall  have  ended,  the  most 
brilliant  record  in  the  history  of  this  church  may  then  be 
written. 

Clerks. 

The  first  clerk  of  Ballard's  Bridge  of  whom  there  is  any 
record  was  Mr.  Baker  F.  Welch,  who  served  the  church  in 
the  capacity  of  clerk  from  1840  to  about  1847.  Mr  Welch 
was  a  prominent  man  in  his  county.  He  represented  Chowan 
County  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Legislature  of  North  Caro- 
lina from  1832  to  1834  as  a  Henry  Clay  Whig.  He  was 
also  a  Justice  of  the  Feace  in  his  county  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Thomas  Satterfield  was  the  next  clerk.  He  served 
the  church  until  his  death,  in  1853.  He  was  a  good  man, 
much  beloved  and  highly  esteemed  by  his  brethren. 

Richard  D.  Simpson  was  the  next  clerk.  He  served  the 
church  from  February,  1853,  to  July,  1866.  J.  A.  Ward 
succeeded  Richard  D.  Simpson  as  clerk,  which  position  he 
held  rintil  December,  1S71.  Then  Edward  Fearce  was  elected 
clerk  and  served  for  fifteen  year's.  Mr.  Pearce  is  still  living 
and  is  a  man  of  influence  in  his  church  and  county.  Miles 
W.  Elliott  was  the  next  clerk.  He  served  the  church  faith- 
fully and  well  from  January,  1888-1898.  Then  George 
H.  Baker  was  elected  clerk.  He  is  serving  now.  Mr.  Baker 
is  a  good  man,  an  earnest  Christian,  and  a  faithful  clerk. 

Ministers  and  Laymen. 

In  the  ministry  this  church  has  given  to  the  world  some 
ministers  and  laymen  who  have  labored  and  are  laboring  to 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  27 

bless  humanity.  For  the  lack  of  information  and  space, 
only  a  few  can  be  mentioned  here : 

Elder  John  Asplund  was  born  in  Sweden  and  trained  for 
mercantile  pursuits.  He  went  to  England  as  a  clerk  in  1775. 
Having  left  the  mercantile  business,  he  joined  the  British 
navy  and  served  as  a  sailor  for  some  time.  At  length  he  de- 
serted the  British  navy  and  settled  in  Eastern  North  Caro- 
lina. 

In  1782,  a  year  after  Ballard's  Bridge  Church  was  organ- 
ized, he  was  converted  and  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of 
Ballard's  Bridge  Church  by  Elder  David  Welch,  the  first 
pastor.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Southampton  County,  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  ordained.  Then  he  spent  several  years  travel- 
ing through  Northern  Europe.  On  his  return,  he  made  a 
tour  of  the  Baptist  churches  of  the  United  States  to  obtain 
the  necessary  information  for  his  "Baptist  Register"  which 
he  published  in  1791.  In  his  introduction  he  says:  "I  have 
traveled  about  7,000  miles  in  about  eighteen  months,  chiefly 
on  foot,  and  visited  about  215  churches  and  fifteen  Associa- 
tions. Having  been  brought  up  with  a  view  to  business  of 
merchandise,  I  am  accustomed  to  keeping  accounts ;  and  I 
now  prefer  accounts  of  souls  with  their  faces  set  Zionward, 
to  those  which  only  respect  money  or  trade.  I  have  a  natural 
turn  for  traveling,  and  I  am  convinced  that  I  could  not  better 
spend  my  time  than  in  itinerating  to  preach  the  Gospel  and 
to  collect  material  which  may  assist  the  future  historian." 
He  afterwards  traveled  10,000  miles,  and  published  another 
Register  in  1794.  It  is  said  that  Morgan  Edwards,  Isaac 
Backus,  R.  B.  Semple,  and  John  Asplund  are  the  greatest 
literary  benefactors  of  American  Baptists.  He  was  drowned 
while  attempting  to  cross  Eishing  Creek,  Virginia,  in  1807. 
"The  literary  work  of  this  Swedish  American  is  rare  and 
costly." 

John  Jordan  was  a  minister  who  was  converted  in  a  great 
revival  about  1812.     I  have  no  further  record  of  this  man. 


28  History  op  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

Mr.  James  Goodwin,  who,  at  the  time  of  his  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Catherine  Satterfield,  the  widow  of  James  Satter- 
tield,  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  his  wife  being 
a  member  of  Ballard's  Bridge.  No  doubt  but  that  it  was 
through  the  influence  and  gentle  persuasion  of  his  pious  wife 
that  he  was  induced  to  join  the  church  at  Ballard's  Bridge, 
in  November,  1846.  He  was  a  good  and  kind  man,  and  be- 
came a  Baptist  minister  from  the  time  of  his  conversion 
until  his  death  in  1854. 

Elder  Thomas  Brownrig  was  born  in  Chowan  County,  in 
1769.  In  his  early  life  be  was  a  bitter  opposer  to  religion 
and  the  church.  In  1816,  then  in  his  47th  year,  he  con- 
fessed faith  in  Christ  and  joined  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 
From  the  time  of  his  conversion,  he  was  an  active,  useful 
and  well-beloved  member  in  his  church. 

Mr.  Andrew  A.  Parish  was  a  pious,  godly  man.  Being 
fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  that  he  was  called  of  God 
to  preach,  he  applied  for  license  from  the  church.  The 
church  immediately  recommended  him  to  the  favorable  con- 
sideration of  the  churches  and  especially  to  the  confidence 
and  favor  of  the  Board  of  Education  at  Wake  Forest  Col- 
lege. He  labored  for  a  while  as  a  colporteur  in  the  bounds 
of  the  Yeopim  Union  meeting,  and  did  some  supply  work. 
By  some  reason  or  other,  he  failed  to  attend  college  and 
finally  gave  up  the  idea  of  preaching  and  went  back  to  his 
farm  where  he  lived  a  quiet  Christian  life.  He  was  killed 
by  a  falling  tree. 

Negro  Slaves. 

There  were  negro  slaves  who  held  their  membership  at 
Ballard's  Bridge  Church  as  early  as  1800.  Many  were  mem- 
bers during  the  Civil  War,  and  some  held  their  membership 
at  the  old  church  long  after  their  emancipation.  Slaves  got 
permission  from  their  masters  to  join  the  church,  and  they 
were  allowed  to  attend  church,  as  the  church  was  provided 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  29 

with  a  gallery  for  accommodation  of  slaves.  There  were 
negro  slave  preachers  who  held  protracted  meetings  under 
bush  shelters  by  permission  of  their  masters.  They  had  big 
revivals,  after  their  manner,  and  not  one  of  them  could  read 
a  single  word.  They  preached  repentance  and  used  the  word 
"hell- fire"  as  a  means  to  scare  sinners.  When  they  repented, 
they  fell  prostrate  on  their  backs,  and  when  they  came 
through,  they  had  to  be  tied  to  prevent  their  hurting  them- 
selves. They  were  baptized  by  white  preachers  until  after 
the  war. 

During  a  protracted  meeting  at  the  church,  the  negroes 
were  very  emotional.  Often  while  the  preacher  was  in  the 
midst  of  his  discourse,  they  could  be  heard  in  the  gallery 
crying  out,  "Dat's  right,  brudder,  tell  it!"  It  is  said  on 
one  occasion  while  a  big  revival  was  in  progress,  an  old  col- 
ored woman  began  shouting  and  she  raised  so  much  disturb- 
ance that  they  had  to  carry  her  out  into  the  grove.  They 
laid  her  down  under  a  large  oak  and  she  cried  out:  "I  see 
my  red-headed  sweet  Jesus  up  the  tree."  As  it  happened 
some  one  looked  up  the  tree  and  saw  a  red-headed  woodpecker. 
After  the  Civil  War  most  of  them  took  letters  and  organized 
a  colored  church  known  as  Welch's  Chapel. 

Ballard's  Bridge  Church  is  the  mother  of  Middle  Swamp 
Church,  which  was  organized  in  1806.  In  1860,  she  granted 
letters  of  dismission  to  twenty-one  members  to  help  in  the 
organization  of  Warwick  Swamp  Church. 

Benevolence  and  Missions. 

As  far  back  as  there  is  any  record,  the  church  has  aided 
the  poor  of  her  congregation.  Her  members  gave  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  Bible  Beview  Society  in  1853.  In  1860,  the 
church  offered  to  pay  her  proportional  part  with  sister 
churches  in  the  support  of  a  missionary  and  colporteur  in  the 
bounds  of  the  Yeopim  Union  Meeting.  She  also  gave  to  the 
support  of  colportage  work   among  the  soldiers   during  the 


30  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

war.  The  first  record  of  her  giving  to  the  support  of  Home 
and  Foreign  Missions  was  in  1865.  She  also  aided  the  In- 
dian Domestic  Mission  Board.  She  has  helped  to  support 
both  the  Orphanage  Asylum  at  Oxford  and  at  Thomasville. 
She  has  borne  her  share  of  the  burden  of  the  C.  B.  F.  Insti- 
tute and  other  educational  institutions. 

Some  of  the  members  were  subscribers  to  the  Baptist  Mes- 
senger as  early  as  1850.  Since  then  they  have  been  subscrib- 
ers to  the  Biblical  Recorder,  Charity  and  Children,,  and  other 
religious  papers. 

Associations. 

The  church  first  belonged  to  the  old  Kehukee  Association. 
The  Kehukee  Annual  Association  was  held  at  Davis's  meet- 
ing-house on  Roanoke,  in  Halifax  County,  North  Carolina, 
in  May,  -1783.  At  this  Association  there  were  appointed 
four  occasional  associations  to  be  held  in  1783.  One  of  these 
met  at  Ballard's  Bridge  in  August  of  this  same  year.  Then 
the  Association  agreed  to  divide:  Virginia  have  one  and 
jSTorth  Carolina  have  one  each  year. 

The  Chowan  Association  was  constituted  in  1806  with  40 
churches,  and  Ballard's  Bridge  has  been  a  member  of  this 
Association  since  that  time.  The  Chowan  Association  has 
met  with  the  Church  at  Ballard's  Bridge  four  times  since: 
(1)   In  1816,  (2)  in  1840,  (3)  in  1866,  (4)  in  1892. 

Sunday  Schools. 

In  1849,  the  church  seeing  the  increased  demand  for  Scrip- 
tural teaching  and  training  of  the  children  in  the  vicinity 
of  Ballard's  Bridge,  and  realizing  the  responsibility  resting 
upon  the  church  to  win  them  for  Christ,  for  the  church,  and 
for  a  life  of  usefulness  in  His  service,  agreed  that  the  mem- 
bers should  establish  a.  Sunday  School  or  schools  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  church. 

The  first  Sunday  School  of  which  I  have  any  record  was 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  31 

organized  at  Deep  Rim,  about  1852.  The  first  superin- 
tendent was  Stephen  Saunders,  a  member  of  Ballard's  Bridge 
Church.  The  church  assisted  Bro.  Saunders  in  his  work, 
and  took  up  collections  from  time  to  time  which  were  appro- 
priated for  the  purchasing  of  literature  for  the  benefit  of 
the  school.  The  school  ran  on  for  several  years,  and  it  is 
said  that  Elder  West  Leary  preached  there  as  a  mission 
station  for  a  while.  Andrew  A.  Parish,  a  young  minister 
just  starting  out,  succeeded  Bro.  Leary  and  held  a  protracted 
service  there.  He  was  assisted  by  Joseph  M.  Boyce,  another 
aspirant  for  the  ministry.  For  some  unknown  reason  the 
work  ceased. 

Mr.  Jack  Churchill  superintended  a  Sunday  School  for 
several  years  in  a  schoolhouse  which  stood  near  Small's  cross- 
roads. Mr.  Churchill  was  a  prominent  man,  a  singing  mas- 
ter, and  a  member  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  other  schools  being  organized  in  more  convenient 
places  was  why  his  school  ceased  its  work. 

Griffin's  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  1850  by  Nathaniel 
Griffin,  a  member  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  In  1S52,  he, 
assisted  by  Henry  Hobbs,  organized  a  Sunday  School  there. 
A  man  by  the  name  of  Battle,  who  drove  a  wagon  through 
the  country  with  books  for  the  aid  of  Sunday  Schools  and 
for  Christian  influence  in  general,  furnished  the  school  with 
a  library.  In  a  few  years  this  library  was  stolen  and  the 
school,  feeling  the  great  need  of  literature,  applied  to  Bal- 
lard's Bridge,  its  mother  and  friend,  for  help.  The  church 
for  a  number  of  years  took  up  collections  to  be  used  in  buy- 
ing literature  for  use  in  the  school.  There  has  been  at  least 
one  revival  service  conducted  at  this  place.  It  was  conducted 
by  Daniel  Boberts.     The  meeting  residted  in  one  conversion. 

This  school  has  not  been  an  evergreen  school  each  year. 
Some  years  they  have  had  no  school  at  all,  but  it  is  safe 
to  -say  that  the  schoolhas  accomplished  untold  good  in  its 
immediate  vicinity.     Several  years  ago  one  important  minis- 


32  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

ter  is  reported  to  have  said  that  from  Wardville  to  Center 
Hill  was  one  solid  mass  of  ignorance.  From  this  situation  it 
can  be  easily  seen  that  the  school  had  to  struggle  for  life  at 
times.  The  following  men  have  acted  as  superintendents 
at  Griffin's  School:  Xathaniel  Griffin,  Henry  C.  Hobbs, 
George  A.  Griffin,  Allen  C.  Ward,  Asa  Jennings,  Jordan 
White,  James  Hobbs,  Miles  W.  Elliott,  William  Hud- 
son, Ekron  D.  White,  and  John  Twine. 

Gaulbury  Sunday  School  was  organized  about  1866.  This 
school  has  not  been  an  evergreen  school,  and  since  its  organi- 
zation there  have  been  years  when  there  was  no  school  at 
all ;  but  this  school  has  done  some  good  work  for  the  Master. 
It  has  given  to  the  support  of  the  Orphanage,  sometimes  send- 
ing boxes  filled  with  valuable  presents  for  the  little  children. 
The  lives  of  some  who  have  stood  at  the  head  of  this  school 
during  the  past  years  are  worthy  to  adorn  the  pages  of  any 
history,  but  they  can  not  be  given  here.  The  following  peo- 
ple have  superintended  the  school  at  Gaulbury:  Henry  C. 
Hobbs,  Allen  C.  Ward,  Martha  Cannon,  an  excellent  school- 
teacher, John  Bunch,  Andrew  A.  Parish,  John  Hall,  an 
Englishman;  Richard  B.  Hollowell,  a  deacon;  E.  T.  Fore- 
hand, J.  C.  Eason,  a  deacon;  James  Askew,  and  J.  B.  By- 
rum. 

About  fifty  years  ago  a  Sunday  School  was  organized  in  the 
vicinity  of  Wardville.  It  was  then  a  mixed  school  of  Qua- 
kers and  Baptists.  The  Quakers  were  a  source  of  great 
strength  to  the  school  in  the  way  of  teaching  and  supplying 
literature  which  it  needed.  It  has  long  since,  however,  been 
recognized  as  a  branch  school  of  Ballard's  Bridge,  to  whom 
it  sends  its  reports.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  it 
has  been  a  good  average  branch  Sunday  School.  Its  record 
is  not  brilliant,  but  it  has  waged  some  battles  in  hand-to-hand 
conflict  with  sin,  the  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  the  ever- 
living  enemy  of  our  souls,  the  enemy  of  God  Himself.  The 
school  was  planted  here  amid   superstition,   ignorance,   and 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  33 

sin;  but  there  were  men  who  loved  God  and  sought  to  bless 
humanity  to  such  an  extent  as  to  rise  up  against  sin,  and  to 
stand  guard  over  this  Sunday  School  in  its  infancy  with 
their  prayers  and  with  the  drawn  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which 
is  the  word  of  God  It  has  had  to  struggle  for  existence  at 
some  time.  If  I  make  no  mistake,  for  the  lack  of  a  building 
its  sessions  were  held  in  a  bam  for  a  short  while.  Then  for 
a  while  it  was  called  the  Barroom  Sunday  School,  because  it 
was  carried  on  in  a  building  which  had  been  used,  or  was 
expected  to  have  been  used  for  a  barroom.  The  school  now 
holds  its  sessions  in  a  building  of  its  own.  The  school  has 
given  to  the  support  of  the  Orphanage  and  to  the  dissemi- 
nation of  Bibles  among  the  destitute. 

May  I  now  speak  with  a  prophet's  vision,  forecasting  the 
future,  and  say  that  in  the  years  to  come  there  will  be  a 
Baptist  church  here  in  which  the  Wardville  Sunday  School 
shall  hold  its  sessions ;  and  hand  in  hand  with  it  an  educa- 
tional institution.  So,  as  the  rising  generations  are  trained, 
they  may  be  trained  with  a  zeal  for  God  and  that  according 
to  knowledge. 

The  following  men  have  superintended  at  Wardville: 
Isaac  Byrum,  Jephthah  Ward,  Josiah  Copeland,  Townsend 
Ward,  Joe  Berch,  Alexander  Copeland,  Fletcher  Parish,  Al- 
len Ward,  George  Ward,  Caleb  Ward,  William  Hudson, 
Thomas  Smith,  Jonathan  Ward,  J.  T.  Byrum,  Millard  Ward, 
Jesse  Spivey,  W.  J.  Byrum  and  Noah  C.  Ward. 

Ballard's  Bridge  Church  has  been  able  to  accomplish  un- 
told good  through  these  her  branch  Sunday  Schools.  Truly 
it  may  be  said  that  the  Sunday  School  is  the  church  at  work. 
Doubtless  many  souls  have  been  led  to  Christ  by  the  faithful 
efforts  of  godly  men  and  women  who  have  labored  in  these 
Sunday  Schools. 


34  History  of  Ballaed's  Beidge  Chuech. 

Conclusion. 

The  history  of  this  church  is  the  history  of  her  perils  and 
deliverances.  She  has  been  in  circumstances  of  peril.  Her 
enemies  have  even  labored  to  destroy  her ;  and  against  these 
there  have  been  the  providence  and  promise  of  God.  God 
has  been  the  support  and  bulwark  of  His  people.  He  has 
been  in  the  midst  of  His  church  to  preserve  her;  to  extend 
her  interest,  and  increase  her  glory.  She  has  been  assailed 
by  powerful  earthly  adversaries,  but  she  is  invulnerable  so 
long  as  she  continues  faithful  to  God. 

Rules  of  Decorum  of  Ballaed's  Beidge  Chuech. 

From  a  long  series  of  experiences,  we  the  Church  ■  of 
Christ,  worshiping  at  Ballard's  Bridge,  are  convinced  of  the 
necessity  of  convening  together  to  worship  God  as  often  as 
convenient ;  and  to  hold  conference  to  transact  the  business 
of  the  church,  and  watch  over  one  another  as  Christ  has  com- 
manded.    Therefore, 

Resolved,  That  the  following  decorum  or  set  of  rules  be 
strictly  observed  in  our  conference: 

1.  We  will  not  forsake  assembling  ourselves  together  at 
the  house  of  God. 

2.  Conference  shall  be  composed  of  the  members  of  the 
church  only,  unless  members  from  sister  churches  be  present, 
then  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  moderator  to  invite  them  to 
seats  with  us  who  shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  as 
members  of  the  church,  except  that  of  voting  upon  any  ques- 
tion that  may  be  before  the  conference. 

3.  Conference  shall  be  opened  and  closed  by  prayer  to 
God, 

4.  One  shall  be  chosen  to  preside  over  conference,  who 
shall  be  addressed  under  the  appellation  of  Brother  Modera- 
tor, and  unto  him  every  speech  shall  be  particularly  ad- 
dressed. 

5.  The  names  of  the  members  being    regularly    enrolled 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  35 

shall  by  the  clerk  be  distinctly  called  over  and  a  notable 
mark  placed  to  the  names  of  all  absent  male  members. 

6.  An  invitation  shall  be  extended  to  all  that  may  be  de- 
sirous to  become  members  of  the  church.  None  shall  be 
admitted  but  by  unanimous  consent.  The  candidates  shall 
first  give  satisfactory  evidence  of  their  faith  in  Christ,  sec- 
ondly, of  a  change  of  heart ;  thirdly,  of  their  willingness  to 
obey  God  in  all  His  commands,  and  fourthly,  to  live  soberly, 
righteously  and  godly  in  this  present  world.  When  full 
satisfaction  has  been  obtained,  the  pastor,  or,  in  his  absence, 
the  moderator,  shall  extend  to  them  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship and  shall  receive  them  in  due  form. 

7.  No  complaint  shall  be  brought  into  conference  of  a 
private  nature  until  the  agreed  parties  have  complied  with 
the  directions  given  by  our  Lord  and  Master  as  recorded  in 
Matt,  xviii.  15-17. 

8.  No  member  shall  be  expelled  from  the  church  for  any 
crime,  except  gross  immorality  or  flagrant  violation  of  Chris- 
tian character,  without  being  first  waited  upon  by  a  com- 
mittee and  cited  to  conference. 

9.  Every  motion  made  and  seconded  shall  come  under  the 
consideration  of  conference,  unless  withdrawn  by  the  mem- 
ber who  made  it. 

10.  Every  query  presented  shall  be  twice  read,  and  before 
it  is  recorded  the  moderator  shall  take  the  question,  and  as 
it  is  decided  so  shall  it  be  recorded,  provided,  however,  the 
querist  can  withdraw  the  query  at  any  time. 

11.  If  the  minority  shall  at  any  time  be  grieved  at  the 
determination  of  the  majority,  they  are  hereby  directed  to 
make  the  same  known  immediately  to  the  church,  and  if  satis- 
faction can  not  be  obtained  and  it  shall  be  necessary  to  call 
for  help  from  sister  churches,  then  in  the  case  satisfaction 
is  not  given,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  church  to  expel  such 
members  or  member,  believing  the  government  according  to 
the  laws  of  Christ  always  rests  with  the  church. 


36  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

1:2.  All  the  business  done  by  conference  shall  be  fairly  re- 
corded by  the  clerk  and  the  same  shall  be  read  oyer  distinctly 
and  corrected,  if  need  be,  at  the  opening  of  the  next  con- 
ference. 

13.  Any  male  member  failing  to  attend  conference,  the 
same  is  disorder,  and  for  failing  to  attend  for  three  succes- 
sive meetings  shall  be  waited  on  by  a  committee,  whose  duty 
it  shall  be  to  cite  said  absentee  to  the  next  conference,  and 
he  shall  give  reason  of  his  absence  in  writing  or  in  person. 

11.  Any  male  member  leaving  conference  without  liberty 
of  conference  the  same  is  disorder. 

15.  If  two  or  more  shall  speak  at  the  same  time,  or  any 
member  sitting  upon  his  seat  speaking  in  good  health  with- 
out addressing  the  moderator,  the  same  is  disorder. 

16.  Any  member  speaking  more  than  twice  upon  the  same 
subject  without  permission  of  the  moderator  the  same  is 
disorder. 

17.  Any  member  being  grieved  at  anything  done  in  con- 
ference and  shall  hold  his  or  her  peace  and  not  let  the  same 
be  known  until  conference  adjourns  and  shall  afterwards 
speak  of  the  same  as  not  having  fellowship  therewith  the 
same  is  hereby  deemed  disorder. 

18.  Any  member  speaking,  or  acting  in  wrath,  anger,  or 
in  a  threatening,  degrading  way,  as  it  is  opposed  to  religion, 
and  wounds  the  feelings  of  the  true  Christian,  the  same  is 
hereby  deemed  disorder. 

19.  If  the  moderator  shall  neglect  to  plainly  and  timely 
reprove  any  member  transgressing  any  of  these  rules  in  time 
of  conference  the  same  is  disorder  in  him  and  himself  for  the 
same  is  liable  to  be  reproved. 

Resolutions. 

1.  Resolved,  That  if  any  member  of  this  church  is  known 
to  be  intoxicated  with  spirituous  liquors,  unless  he  confess 
the  same,  shall  be  waited  upon  by  a  committee  and  cited  to 


History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church.  37 

conference.  For  a  second  offense  he  shall  he  expelled  from 
the  church,  unless  he  acknowledge  his  crime  to  the  church, 
ask  forgiveness,  and  promise  not  to  repeat  the  offense,  in 
which  case  he  may  be  excused. 

2.  Resolved,  That  if  any  member  of  the  church  shall  be 
engaged  in  buying  and  retailing  spirituous  liquors,  he  or  she 
shall  be  expelled  from  the  church. 

3.  Resolved,  That  if  any  male  member  fail  to  attend  con- 
ference for  the  space  of  twelve  months  without  a  good  excuse 
rendered  he  shall  be  expelled  from  the  church. 

4.  Resolved,  That  if  any  member  of  this  church  be  known 
to  engage  in  dancing,  card-playing,  profanity,  or  if  any  al- 
low dancing,  or  card-playing  in  their  houses,  they  shall  be 
expelled  from  the  fellowship  of  the  church  unless  they 
acknowledge  their  wrongs  and  promise  to  do  so  no  more,  in 
which  case  they  may  be  excused. 

5.  Resolved,  That  if  any  male  member  fail  to  subscribe 
and  pay  to  the  support  of  the  church  by  the  end  of  each 
year,  he  shall  be  waited  on  by  a  committee;  and  if  he  fail 
to  pay  or  give  a  good  and  lawful  excuse  by  March  meeting, 
he  shall  be  expelled. 

6.  Resolved,  That  the  church  shall  elect  its  pastor  by  bal- 
lot on  Saturday  before  the  second  Sunday  in  August  of  each 
year. 

7.  Resolved,  That  the  sexton  shall  be  elected  on  Saturday 
before  the  second  Sunday  in  September  of  each  year. 

8.  Resolved,  That  the  clerk,  assistant  clerk,  and  treasurer 
shall  be  elected  Saturday  before  the  second  Sunday  in  De- 
cember of  each  year. 

9.  Whereas,  We  believe  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  in- 
toxicating liquors,  including  wine  as  a  beverage,  to  be  detri- 
mental to  personal  piety  and  inconsistent  with  a  profession 
of  religion.     Therefore, 

Resolved,  That  this  church  will  not  allow  any  of  her  mem- 
bers to  engage  in  such  practice. 


38  History  of  Ballard's  Bridge  Church. 

Present  Church  Officers. 

Pastor — J.  O.  Alderman. 

Deacons — Edward  Pearce,  J.  C.  Eason,  J.  M.  Forehand, 
W.  H.  Elliott,  J.  B.  Byrum,  J.  L.  Savage,  W.  D.  Welch, 
W.  J.  Byrum. 

Clerk— G.  H.  Baker. 

Treasurer — J.  L.  Savage. 

Sexton — J.  V.  Perry. 

Missionary  Society. 

President — Jack  Churchill. 
Secretary — Benjamin  Boyce. 

Sunday  School. 

Superintendent — J.  L.  Savage. 

As  this  Sunday  School  was  omitted  under  the  head  of 
Sunday  Schools,  may  it  suffice  to  say  here  that  this  school 
has  run  only  at  intervals.  It  is  safe  to  say,  however,  that 
great  good  has  been  accomplished  through  its  efforts.  The 
following  men  have  acted  as  superintendents:  J.  M.  Fore- 
hand, J.  C.  Eason,  John  T.  Hollowell  and  J.  L.  Savage. 


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